Letters
by Vaneria Potter
Summary: "I know your relationship with your parents is complicated...", "I try not to think about it, but when I left, I probably really hurt them." What DID Toph's parents think when she ran away? Probably a Two-Shot
1. Goodbye

_Disclaimer: Not mine, making no money, blah, blah, blah.  
Summary: "I try not to think about it, but when I left, I probably really hurt them"_

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**CHAPTER ONE**

Lao and Poppy Bei Fong had been in an absolute panic when their precious, delicate young daughter had been kidnapped, first by criminals, who were probably insane criminals at that, claiming that Toph was the Blind Bandit from an underground fighting ring, and then by the Avatar.

It had been this panic that prompted Lao to be so stern with Toph when she returned from the first kidnapping and confessed the facts to them. They had been giving her far too much freedom in doing as she wished, if she thought that a twelve-year-old sneaking off to participate in an Earth Rumble competition was in any way a good or acceptable idea, no matter how talented a bender she was.

Poppy, once she recovered from her own shock, calmed him down, as she always did, and they resolved to sit down with Toph in the morning, when they had all had time to think about the night's events and were ready to talk rationally.

That plan had been promptly de-railed when the woke to find a hysterical nursemaid with a tell-tale bump on her head and a note that she had helped Toph write, thinking it part of an odd game. The note informed them that Toph was going to teach the Avatar Earthbending, and be with people who weren't ashamed of her and didn't treat her like she was helpless.

Poppy actually fainted, something she hadn't done since her pregnancy. Lao immediately sent for Master Yu, ordering him to do whatever it took to find and retrieve Toph, to bring her home where she would be safe, as soon as possible, and then gone to comfort his wife.

* * *

Toph's letter had held some degree of truth to it, but also more than a little misunderstanding, and a great deal of hurt.

Had they failed so badly as parents that their daughter would run away and imply that she might never return? Did she actually hate them, when all they had ever wanted to do was love and protect her, even if they had gone to extremes?

When Toph had been born, after a pregnancy and birth that had nearly cost the life of both mother and baby, the midwives had warned Lao that he might still have to look for funeral shrouds and sages, rather than baby clothing and celebrations.

For weeks, Lao had barely moved from Poppy's bedside, leaving business to his assistant as he kept vigil over the both of them, for Poppy had refused to be parted from their daughter for even a moment, breaking with conventional traditions for the wealthy and feeding Toph from her own breast, rather than entrusting her to a wet-nurse.

When Toph, still so much smaller and frailer than any baby should be, finally opened her eyes, the green orbs were a sightless pale jade. Still, the doctors warned that she would be lucky if she even lived through her childhood and a near-miracle if she made it into her teen years. Refusing to accept such a thing, Lao and Poppy agreed with each other that Toph would be sheltered from the world, until she was strong enough to face it.

In the world of business and politics that the Bei Fongs inhabited and ruled, nearly everything was something to be traded, be it favours, influence or goods. Lao and Poppy loved each other, and had a happy marriage, but they also knew that they were the exception, rather than the rule, and that few arranged marriages ended so well. If the circles they moved in knew that the Bei Fongs had a daughter, many of them would try to arrange a marriage, seeing a blind girl as a stepping stone to wealth and power, rather than a girl in her own right. They would not allow Toph to be put under such pressure

As she grew older, Toph also grew stronger, to the point that her parents no longer feared that she might perish if they dropped their guard for even a moment, but she showed no signs of growing strong enough for them to treat her as a normal child, either. So they kept her hidden, safe in anonymity.

Neither of them were benders, so they hired the greatly-recommended Master Yu, who consistently told them that Toph was not ready for more than the most basic of bending exercises. Poppy and Lao knew very little about Earthbending, except that many of their Agricultural endeavours hired them whenever possible, and even less about the theory behind it, so they trusted his word, rather than moving her on to a more advanced or specialized tutor.

The maid who had given them the letter had been under long-standing orders to do whatever Toph needed or requested, as long as it didn't endanger her health, so they couldn't really fault her for helping their daughter write the note. They wouldn't be planning to entrust her with anything that required even a hint of common sense at any point in the near future, though.

Perhaps they had treated Toph as helpless, but she had never shown them reason to think otherwise. If Toph was capable of evading the guards to sneak out to Earth Rumbles and participate without giving away her real identity, then she was clearly intelligent enough to find a way to show them that she was capable, and strong enough to face whatever the world threw at her.

There were ways to work around her blindness, especially if Toph did 'see' through her bending, as she claimed, so why had she kept it hidden from them? They might have been cross that she had hidden things from her, but Lao and Poppy would always love their daughter. They could no more hate her than they could fly like an Airbender.

But now she was missing, and all that they could do now was worry, and wait, and hope that Toph would listen to their explanations when she eventually returned home.

_atla_

_atla_

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_A/N: My sister and I were born three months premature. Sally could literally fit in my father's cupped hands, and spent months in the hospital before they thought it was safe to take her home. She did come away with learning difficulties, and my parents treated both of us as extremely delicate and fragile. Once we proved that we were capable of something, however, they let us participate in things like physically rough sports, if we wanted to._

_Toph's parents are influential enough that the family seal gets the officials as far away as Ba Sing Se to bend over backwards to assist her. If nothing else, that implies a powerful influence, which means that they are probably not stupid, blind or self-deluded, and we've seen that Toph is pretty good at getting things past people. However, they seemed truly ignorant of Toph's talents, and genuinely believed that she was helpless. I can think of a dozen ways that Toph could have proven herself, which leads me to think that her relationship with her parents was more misinformation and miscommunication on both sides, than neglect._

_Thanks, Nat._


	2. I'm Sorry

_Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The last Airbender. Same old, same old._

_Summary: "I need you to write some things down for me. I want to send a letter to my parents."_

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**CHAPTER TWO – I'M SORRY**

It was a few months, that still felt like years, later when another letter came, delivered by a Fire-Nation messenger hawk. The potential trouble of being seen to have recieved a message via Fire-Nation methods was instantly forgotten in the face of joy and relief at the discovery of who the letter was from.

_To the Honourable Lord Lao and Lady Poppy Bei Fong, by this my dictation, greetings._

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_I asked Katara to help me write this, because she was the one who convinced me that I needed to._

_First, I need to apologize. I did need to be the one to teach the Avatar Earthbending, and I can't regret the things I learned and experienced while travelling, but I shouldn't have left the way I did._

_Katara already lectured me for the way I phrased my note to you, when I told her, and about the trouble Mei must have been in over it, and I'm sorry for that, too._

_I promise that I'll come back as soon as I can, once the War is over. I never had the chance to hear your side of things, and I think I need to. I need to explain myself, too. You'll be glad to know that I'm learning to think before I act or talk, and that accepting help isn't the same as admitting weakness._

_I admit that I had to learn the hard way. _

_I only recently started to think about how much I hurt Katara by being nasty to her when she was only trying to be nice or look out for us, or how Sokka can sometimes be smart and doesn't need to be the butt of my humour, or that Aang being a peacemaker doesn't mean I can take out my temper on him._

_I also realized how much I must have hurt you when I left, and the way I kept everything secret, just because I didn't know how you would react._

_Anyway, this letter is to say that I'm sorry, and I miss you, and I'll be home soon._

_Toph Bei Fong_

_P.S. I'm still mad about the Bounty Hunters, though, and I'm not sorry for metalbending them inside that cage!_

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Lao and Poppy nearly collapsed with relief when they received the letter.

When news of the Avatar's death had spread, they had feared the worst, but now they had proof that Toph was still alive, more-or-less safe (they thought), was willing to attempt reconciliation, and, best of all, didn't hate them.

They weren't sure what she meant about Bounty Hunters, though sending Master Yu to track her down might possibly be seen as such. That was definitely one of the things that they would need to talk about.

As was the topic of Master Yu himself. Lao had never actually seen Toph bend before, beyond carving a small chunk out of the courtyard when her bending first manifested itself during a tantrum. With a highly recommended tutor saying that Toph could barely bend at all, but Toph and other witnesses claiming a finesse that was virtually unmatched, the issue of Toph's bending proficiency was confusing.

No one likes to be so thoroughly confused, especially those who are used to being in control, so Lao had temporarily shelved the issue of Toph's bending in favour of addressing the reckless behaviour of sneaking out to participate in Earth Rumbles. Overprotective or not, no parent would ignore that, and it was sadly easy for that worry to manifest as anger.

Lao and Poppy hadn't been nearly so blasé about their daughter's skill as it might have appeared, but rather proud and overjoyed, once they had a chance to sit down and think about it. Unfortunately, between the entire Fiasco, followed by the panic of Toph disappearing with only a letter to say that this time she hadn't been kidnapped (which they would have considered a forgery if the maid hadn't spoken up – Toph couldn't write), it had been several weeks before they had that opportunity.

It was good that Toph was making friends and learning about the world with them. One of the reasons that they had kept their daughter secret from the world was the fear that she was not strong enough to face it. That was clearly not the case, and now they could proudly claim the daughter they loved without the fear that others would try to use her.

From the undertones in the letter, and the rumours floating around about the Avatar's Earthbending Sifu, they rather pitied anyone who tried, as they would probably find themselves buried up to the neck with Earthbending, anyway. That was if the rest of the Avatar's party didn't get to them first. Upsetting a Master Waterbender, who needed only a puddle to defend themselves or do something unpleasant, or the Avatar, the most powerful being on the planet, was not a good idea.

Poppy resolved to have a long talk with this Katara girl. She was clearly the one in charge of the group as a whole, even if the Avatar had been the more public front; a sort of quasi-mother. The Avatar's duties would take him all over the world, and they didn't know if Toph would stay at home, when she returned, or continue to travel with them.

Lao and Poppy had tried to make Toph's decisions for her, and see how that had turned out! It would be nice if they managed to come to a compromise, but whatever Toph chose to do with the rest of her life, everyone would probably be a lot happier if Poppy could convince Katara to make the group at least visit a few times a year. Toph would no longer be cut off from the world.

They were still worried, but now that worry was mixed with relief. Toph was safe, and would be coming home.

_atla_

_atla_

_atla_

_atla_

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_A/N: Second chapter up! I hope everyone likes it._  
_Thanks go to **SCWLC, Somariel** and **Snoopydog213** for their wonderful reviews and encouragement! Seriously, you guys are wonderful. I'm debating whether or not to do a final chapter, showing the reunion. Feel free to encourage, discourage, or offer suggestions._

_Thanks, Nat._


	3. Reunion

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, and I am making no money or profit off of this fanfic.  
Summary: "My Dad changed his mind. He said I was free to travel the world."_

_A/N: Thanks goes to my awesome reviewers: __**SCWLC, JackieStarSister, SnoopyGirl213, CrazyDyslexicNerd, Somariel, lokoforsonic9559**__ and __**mr. ronald weasley.**_

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**CHAPTER THREE - REUNION**

After the Defeat of Fire Lord Ozai, and the Coronation of Fire Lord Zuko, Fire bending Sifu to the Avatar (and didn't _that_ promise to be another interesting story!) the Bei Fongs received another letter, this one from Master Katara.

_To Lao and Poppy Bei Fong,_

_You may or may not remember me, but I am one of the Avatar's Water Tribe companions. As the war is now over, my brother and I look forward to returning home and seeing our family again. I do not know what Toph or Aang have planned at this time, but I know that we will be stopping at Ba Sing Se in two weeks from the date I write this letter, and staying at the Jasmine Dragon on the Inner Ring for a while._

_I am extending an invitation for you to join us there, as a surprise for Toph, who I know is struggling with how to act in regards to seeing you again._

_With respect and best wishes,_

_Katara of the Southern Water Tribe._

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The Golden Seal of the Flying Boar was only slightly less powerful than the Personal Seal of the Earth King. As such, it opened doors and broke rules that would otherwise take weeks to get through. Therefore, a journey that would take most people at least a month was accomplished in only slightly less than a fortnight.

It also got them straight to the Upper Ring, and the Jasmine Dragon, with minimal fuss, and no officials demanding papers that would have to be signed and witnessed by five different officials, no more than two of which could be found at any one time. Lao Bei Fong might be a merchant, but even he admitted that the same paperwork that secured a deal or bargain could also be a colossal nuisance.

The Jasmine Dragon was a beautiful and tastefully decorated Tea Shop, where the sound of a Tsungi Horn and the voices of several teenagers could be heard drifting out. Toph's parents paused outside the door for a moment, sending up a brief prayer of hope to the spirits. They had anticipated this moment for months, but had not expected to be so nervous at the opportunity to see their daughter again.

'_Merciful Guanyin, please – ',_ "Toph Bei Fong, you get back here this instant! Sokka, don't you dare try to hide her!"

Their hesitation was swiftly interrupted by a feminine voice raised in a near-shriek, followed by mad cackling and their daughter's distinctive voice, filled with a fiendish glee. "Oh, lighten up, Sugar Queen!"

'_Sugar Queen'? _They didn't remember any of the Avatar's group going by that name…

The first voice didn't seem inclined to listen, much less comply. "You stop that, or I swear I'll scrub your feet down daily! I'll drag you to every spa in Ba Sing Se! I don't care if you think it's a healthy coating of your element!"

A spa? Maybe this was something that Poppy and Toph could bond over, since Poppy could never hope to understand Earthbending on the instinctive level that Toph seemed to. She wasn't about to force Toph to be a proper lady wrapped in silk and jewels, but maybe she could convince her that looking pretty wasn't a bad thing, and at least it would be a starting point.

As they entered, Lao couldn't help but ask the obvious question; even though he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. "Sugar Queen?"

The conversations inside screeched to a halt, as did Toph, which caused the Water Tribe girl chasing her, Katara, to barely stop in time to avoid knocking both of them over. Toph slid one foot gently over the floor, testing for something. "Mom, Dad?"

Months of worrying and the relief of finally seeing Toph again had Poppy sprinting across the room with a muffled sob, yanking her startled daughter into an embrace. "We missed you, Toph. I'm so glad to see you again."

She had been about to mention being glad that she was safe, but decided that since the overwhelming desire to keep Toph safe had been part of what made her leave, perhaps it wasn't the best choice of words. She was glad of her restraint as, for the first time in far too long, Toph carefully hugged her back. "I missed you guys, too."

She pulled away as Lao approached. "But what was with sending Bounty Hunters after me? They sent a note saying you were in Ba Sing Se and wanted to talk to me, and then locked me in a metal box! I had to invent a whole new style of bending to get out!"

Lao spluttered. "I asked Master Yu to help us find you and gave him money to pay for expenses! Are you saying he hired Bounty Hunters? I can't think of ten in the Earth Kingdom that I'd trust to retrieve a runaway goose-dog! When I get hold of him I'll…"

Toph suddenly scowled, on the verge of an indignant, and probably impolite, reply. Katara, wearing an expression that Poppy recognized from her own mother trying to avert a fight before it started, quickly intervened. "Actually, Master Yu and his friend _were _the bounty hunters."

Lao looked torn between shock and fury, so Poppy stepped in, years of playing hostess kicking in. "Perhaps we can discuss this sitting down? Or privately, if you prefer, Toph. Young man, is there any tea left?"

A tall young man with a large burn scar covering one eye, grumbled something about having thought his tea-serving days were over, but exchanged a quick smile with the other young people as he brought the tea-tray over. "Don't worry, Uncle brewed it."

That went a little over the Bei Fong's heads, but it was clearly an inside joke, as several of the group, namely Katara, the Water Tribe boy, a girl in the outfit of a Kyoshi Warrior, and a robust old man, snickered quietly. A tall, morose girl with black hair and pale skin didn't change her bored expression, and the Avatar seemed to be trying to decide if laughing would offend the boy, whose gold eyes gave him away as Fire Nation.

Several very tense minutes later, Toph finally broke the silence. "Let's stop dancing around. Why are you guys here? It had better not be to drag me back home! I can take care of myself!"

Poppy couldn't supress a wince at her daughter's defensive opening, and winced again at Katara's not-quite-a-mother reprimand. "That doesn't mean that you have to do it alone, Toph. At least hear them out."

Poppy did have to smile, however, when Katara's tone really did turn into that of a mother, when she turned to scold the Avatar for trying to feed a peach tart to his pet lemur. Maybe there was a nice Earth Kingdom boy she could introduce Katara to…

Lao had started talking while Poppy was thinking. "We know, Toph, and I should have addressed that I was amazed and proud of you before I got angry at your recklessness and grounded you. We won't force you to do anything, but we don't want to spend the rest of our lives as strangers, either. Will you give us a chance?"

Another very long moment in which no one seemed to so much as breathe. Then, Toph Earth bended herself over the table, landing in between her parents and reaching out. "Yes."

_atla_

_atla_

_atla_

_atla_

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_A/N: And "**Letters**" is finally finished! I'm not quite sure about the ending, but it was the best stopping point I had. _

_Thanks again to everyone who was nice enough to review! If you liked this story, I have another Avatar: the Last Airbender one in the works, entitled **"The Other Water Tribe Girl"**. Go check it out!_

_Thanks, Nat._


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